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Phoenix City
Phoenix City (known as Ash City until 1 APC) is a metropolis located in the Plainterra on the continent of Norweist. It is the central location and namesake of Phoenix City Chronicles, and perhaps the most notable single settlement in the entirety of Circunima. Districts The city is divided into nine districts. * 1 - The Forge: Dwarf and Gnome Neighborhood * 2 - BEIR Industrial District * 3 - Sylaith (Faerie-Home): Elf Neighborhood * 4 - Phoenix City University Campus * 5 - Midtown: Human/Mixed Neighborhood * 6 - Merchant's Quarter * 7 - The Furries (Kitsunemimi and Nekomimi Neighborhood) * 8 - Downtown Phoenix City * 9 - Phoenix City Hall Demographics At the last census, Phoenix City's total population was 397,500, the demographics of which were estimated as follows; Angels (0%*), Demons (0%*), Dolls (3%), Dragons (0%*), Dwarves (10%), Elves (20%), Fairies (0%), Gargoyles (1%), Gnomes (10%), Grasslanders (1%), Graveborn (0%*), Humans (30%), Imps (5%), Khamele (0%), Kitsune (0%*), Kitsunmimi (10%), Merfolk (0%), Nekomimi (10%), Spirits (0%*), Vampires (0%*), Werewolves (0%*), Wolf Demons (0%*), Yeti (0%). * These races probably exist, but not openly, or they're rare enough that they don't make up even a percent of the population, and so have never been taken into account. Important Organizations A variety of factions vie for the prosperity (or control) of Phoenix City. BROTHERHOOD OF ENGINEER AND INVENTOR RIGHTS REGULATION (BEIR) A labor union established to protect the working rights of the gnomes and dwarves who, in their own words, built this city. The organization's most influential member is Jebeddo Scheppen, who frequently uses his political power to work for gnome and dwarf rights. Members pay an annual due to the tune of 300 pc, but in return they are guaranteed medical benefits in case of injury on the job, excellent pay for their hard work, and discount benefits at BEIR-run markets. IMPORTANT MEMBERS Tanny Affoh, Organization Manager Borgen Steihr, Racketeering Organizer Morden Furafaire, Primary Accountant GRAND HIGH COUNCIL A council of six elected officials who govern all individual aspects of the city and meet regularly to discuss the city as a whole. The council is elected by popular vote once a year, and there is no set limit to how many terms a councilor may have, resulting in some officials being newly elected, and others having sat on the council for decades. IMPORTANT MEMBERS Lady Arianna Galanodel, Head of Arcane Study Lady Cheri Dupont, Head of Customs and Trade Lord Daramil Sulley, Head of Architecture and Construction Lord Feng Rukken, Head of Health and Sanitation Lord Jebeddo Scheppen, Head of International Relations Lord Oskar Rumnaheim, Head of Military KNIGHTS OF THE OMERTA The most notorious criminal organization in the city, the code of the Knights is simple; always repay upon others any offense committed upon you, and never get the law involved. Violation of either of these terms results in death for the perpetrator. The unwritten rule of this glorified thieves guild, whose tactics range from burglary and extortion to more "sophisticated" activity such as high-profile sleeper agents and political blackmail, is loyalty to one's superior, but while this may keep a low-level enforcer alive, the higher ups consistently vie for power, and assassinations are common. IMPORTANT MEMBERS Rehtado Morae, Leader Knightmaster Fredo, Captain of the Knights Fitzgerald, Chief Bodyguard Lumis Dule, Associate and Proprietor of the Sting-in-the-Ring PHOENIX CITY UNIVERSITY OF ARCANE STUDY The most prestigious wizard's academy in Norweist, PCU is renowned for its varied spectrum of magical study ranging from military attack spells to elemental magic to beginner necromancy (more advanced practice of the subject, such as the animation of undead entities, is strictly forbidden on campus), as well as its sporting mage duels. IMPORTANT MEMBERS Darius Kallan, University Dean Dalia Changzao, Professor of Elemental Magic Jonathan Light, Professor of Magical Protection Nairod Vanelli, Professor of Automaton Construction and Summoning Lilieista Maedo, Professor of Illusion and Enchantment Sporaka Torill, Professor of Military Blast Spells Viego D'aunpei, Professor of Necromancy THE MACHINE The Church of Mechanical Transcendence, as the organization is formally known, is a theocracy hidden within the inner workings of the greater republic that is Phoenix City. Considering their organic forms the ultimate limitation, members of this organization slowly replace their existing bodies with magically animated prosthetics resembling what will someday be known as cybernetics in a bizarre ritual known as Transcendence. Those who complete this ritual become wholly artificial creations far more powerful than the original. These entities are known collectively as cogs. The agenda of this organization is to expand for now, but it is feared they will someday seek to overwhelm and destroy their organic counterparts, whom they consider inferior. IMPORTANT MEMBERS Master Etanicam, Leader The Intangible Twins, Top Generals Industry And Economy Phoenix City thrives on trade, and is in fact a merchant city where commerce is concerned. The Merchant's Quarter is forever active with any number of goods imaginable in the high fantasy world of Circunima. The primary currency of the city is the Phoenix Credit, but the city technically trades in all known currencies found on Circunima due to its status as a trade capital. That said, it is important to note that Phoenix Credits are the only currency that can be spent outside the Merchant's Quarter, which has made the moneychanging business a profitable one in the city. Finally, a .5% sales tax is in effect for all purchases, while a 25% local tax is withdrawn from the pay of all workers to expand and maintain the city itself. The city's secondary, and in the long view perhaps more profitable, industry is magitech, an arcane-powered energy source and its many applications developed by the BEIR. Government Phoenix City is a representative republic overseen by the Grand High Council, which works collectively to maintain and uphold the many practical and cultural considerations of the city's racially diverse population. Accordingly, all of the more prominent races have at least one representative on the Council at any given time, usually (but not always) in charge of an area of expertise considered indigenous to their culture (for example, elves are most often elected as Heads of Arcane Study, while dwarves are typically elected as Heads of Military). Votes on any topic must be unanimous, signifying that the city as a whole is in agreement as represented by their chosen voice. As such, laws tend to remain in effect for disproportionately long periods of time as the Council does not always see eye to eye and must negotiate the terms of the law until a mutually beneficial rewrite is reached for all parties involved. As a representative republic, Phoenix City places the civil liberties of its citizens at top priority, claiming that, "We believe all sentient creatures, regardless of race, religion, or gender have the innate right to free will, and free expression of that will, provided that such expression does not hinder the free will of other such creatures. We believe also that the right to free will entitles one to responsibility for ones actions, and that all breaches of the above should be tried fairly in a court of law." Non-citizens are treated as merchants, and though they may set up shop in the city (provided, of course, that they have proper licensing to do so), they are not permitted to claim residence or property rights within city limits until proper forms establishing citizenship have been filled out, filed at the council headquarters, and sent back in the form of a citizenship document. This document is extremely important, and under martial law (a rare emergency), may be requested by guards to ensure that invaders are not among the populous. In keeping with their treaty of relations with surrounding lands, non-citizens are detained and deported immediately, to be sentenced according to the rules and regulations of their homeland, wherever it may be. In similar fashion, citizens are typically detained until their trial, with bail set in direct proportion to the crime committed. Culture Phoenix City is an anomaly in two respects. The first is that it is the only successful large-scale republic in the whole of Norweist; the result of an inner-city civil war that brought Ash City to its knees centuries ago. The ruling council, known as the Grand High Council, is elected by popular vote in an annual election, and it is the sworn duty of councilors to take the opinions voiced by the people themselves into account when making decisions. In order to accommodate this need, it was decided at the dawn of Phoenix City's successful reconstruction that a councilor would be selected from among every predominant race to best represent the needs of their people's unique culture. The second is that it is technologically and architecturally centuries ahead of its time. Its free status has allowed artisans of all kinds to flourish, and the innovations of gnome inventors and dwarf architects have paved the way for a city that runs on magical energy the way modern cities run on electricity. Levitating elevators carry loads of busy workers to the top floors of tremendously tall and exotically designed skyscrapers. Traffic fills the skies as well as the roads thanks to the invention of flying carriages. The night skyline is a sight to behold; countless magical lights illuminate the city for miles. In addition to its novel technological advancements and the assurance of freedom, Phoenix City is built on trade. Lying at the axis of several important routes in the region, the city sees a continual influx and outpouring of goods and services of all kinds, and those who choose to settle make up its sizable, ever-growing population. Indeed, population control itself has proven to be the city's greatest challenge, and its size is ever-expanding to accommodate this need. All citizens are considered free, and have an active say in their government, but final decisions are left up to the Grand High Council, who have the greatest political power. Although every citizen is a free man, some races, such as imps, are considered second-class citizens, and thus occupy a lower rung than average citizens in practice. History After the Ash City Riots brought that city to a standstill in 15 BPC, the BEIR was formed from disaffected laborers seeking a government that could allow them to provide fairly for them and their families while keeping the criminal activity of groups such as the Knights of the Omerta at bay. Eventually, the city itself was rebuilt in a daring, fifteen year effort that would result in a metropolis so profoundly ahead of its time that scholars all over the world hailed it as marking a new era, and accordingly restarted the Circuniman Calendar in the city's honor. In comparison to its predecessor, Phoenix City has in fact been a peaceful place for the four decades since its re-opening. Thriving on trade and state-of-the-art magitech, the city seemed enough of a paradise that its population more than doubled in its first year of operation from the total populous of Ash City at the time of its downfall, spiking to nearly triple that amount by 30 APC. However, this idyllic peace is and always has been an illusion. Just beneath the city streets, a literal criminal underworld has operated since the fifteen year gap between the riots and the opening of Phoenix City. Over the years, various organizations both old (such as the Church of Mechanical Transcendence and the Knights of the Omerta) and new (such as a rising influx of fiendish races) has plagued the city, often unknown to the public at large because they either operate clandestinely enough to avoid notice or because small groups of unsung heroes have thwarted their efforts enough in advance to prevent widespread panic. The city faced one of its darkest hours in 48 APC when a demon known as Vektor arrived with a dramatic entrance that destroyed the temple of Helios and an entire city block around, thereafter giving the citizens an ultimatum; if he could not be defeated by the city's greatest heroes by dawn, he would begin that day by opening a gate to Hell and releasing an army of demons onto the world. As quickly as the threat had been announced, it was quelled. A group of unnamed heroes managed to thwart Vektor's efforts, or so it is assumed, as the demon vanished along with the Demon Gate he had prepared to make good on his ultimatum, never to be heard from again. Following Vektor's disappearance, the city enjoyed another several months of relative peace, during which Lumus Dule notably rebuilt the Phoenix City Sting-in-the-Ring arena to boost morale and turn it from a quasi-secretive and illegal bloodsport to a city-sanctioned public event. This peace lasted until early 49 APC when the warlord Feusang made war on the entire continent of Norweist, forcing the Phoenix City Guard to mobilize, alongside the Elven Knights of the Faerie Court and the Warrior Priests of Neki-Seraph in a joint effort to protect Norweist from his wrath. Again, the evil menace was quelled by a small band of heroes before full-scale military action could come to pass. The heroes, who were seen to be leaving the Fortress City of Gerdheim after the battle on the airship Sunset Arrow, were later confirmed by name during a briefing of the Arrow's captain, Zeaken Pyrek. Pyrek claimed them to be Knuckles McDaniel, Cerys, Jordan Light, Tal Kadorin, Cellus, Burk, Kaylea, and a mysterious thief referring to herself only as "Fox". Knuckles and Cerys were revealed to be Phoenix City locals, along with Jordan Light, who coincidentally is also the son of famed adventurer and PCU professor Jonathan Light. In addition to Feusang himself, several accomplices were implicated by Pyrek; Lenitnes Dol, a Phoenix City scientist who had isolated himself from the BEIR to pursue experiments considered "mad" by his fellows, Jacen Koriander, a demon who had for some time remained at large, Cania, an Anubian temple thief whose role in the scheme was involuntary, and Cecielia, a notorious witch from Gerdheim that had ties to Jacen. Cania and Cecielia, having escaped during the chaos of the battle, are still at large, while Feusang, Dol, and Koriander are confirmed dead. To commemorate its 50th anniversary, Phoenix City held a special celebration which included the first ever city-funded Sting-In-The-Ring tournament. Category:Places Category:Phoenix City Chronicles